Red Dawn
by Sky Stormsong
Summary: Firestar and Sandstorm have another litter of kits: two she-cats and a tom. But omens and signs from StarClan keep showing an apocalyptic future with the tom as a second, current age Tigerstar. What could this mean for ThunderClan and the other Clans?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoys _Red Dawn_. This story will follow the new kits of Firestar, especially the tom. Please read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. It belongs to the Erins. The only things I own is the plot-line and the original characters.

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****Prologue**

Jayfeather sat in the corner of the nursery listening to the soft purrs and mews of his grandfather and grandmother along with his littermate Lionblaze as they fawned over the three new kits. Two were she-cats and the third was a tom. By what he heard, they were quite beautiful. Being blind, he didn't have an opinion. The fact alone they were the ThunderClan leader's kits were worrisome enough. There was already a prophecy concerning the kin of Firestar's kin. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovepaw filled the roles of the Three that held the power of the stars in their paws, but what type of prophecy will surround this three kits? Or will there be a prophecy at all?

"Have you named them yet?" asked Lionblaze.

A purr came from Firestar. "Yes. The ginger she-kit is Flamekit. The tortoiseshell she-kit is Spottedkit."

"And the red tabby with red stripes is Dawnkit." added in Sandstorm, her voice betraying her exhaustion.

At the name, images flooded Jayfeather's sight.

_The trees on ThunderClan's territory were barely recognizable charred wood and the grass was stained red with blood. Dead bodies were scattered around, rotting and filling the air with the stink of death. The lake that all the Clans had settled around was dry, the ground cracked. Wails of despair and suffering from the remaining live cats filled Jayfeather's ears. The cats making the noise were gaunt and skinny looking as if they hadn't eaten in a few days or weeks. And over it all was the insane evil laughter that kept on and on, imprinting itself to his mind._

Then the images were gone, leaving the medicine cat blind and with a feeling of dread and foreboding. The voices of Firestar, Sandstorm and Lionblaze returned, joyous and affectionate. He got to his paws, bid a farewell and pushed his way out of the nursery.

Dawnkit was going to be the end of the Clans.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: The allegiances for this story are from _The Fourth Apprentice_ but not further. All the characters belong to Erin Hunter except for the three I created. The story's plot is also mine. Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer: Characters (except mine) and area belong to Erin Hunter's _Warriors_ series.**

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**Chapter 1  
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_Six Moons Later_

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" called Firestar. Cats began filling the hollow, appearing from dens or coming in from patrols, and at the far back he could see his mate Sandstorm appear from the nursery with their three kits in tow: Dawnkit, Spottedkit and Flamekit. His tail swished in barely held back happiness. He had been looking forward to this day; his kits were finally becoming apprentices.

Sandstorm took a place in front of the Highledge with the three kits sitting at her side. Flamekit fidgeted where she sat and Spottedkit dropped her gaze shyly to her paws. Dawnkit gazed ahead calmly regarding all the cats that were there. His mate met his eyes and she blinked affectionately at him. He flicked his ears at her and turned back to the Clan to see if the three mentors he chose had arrived. When he picked the three out in the crowd, he got to his paws and let his gaze travel over his Clan before starting the meeting.

"Today Dawnkit, Spottedkit and Flamekit have reached six moons of age and are ready to become apprentices," He mewed loud enough for all to hear. Firestar jumped down from Highledge and gestured with his tail for the three kits to approach him. Flamekit immediately bounced over and Dawnkit padded up to the leader showing no emotions. Spottedkit followed after her siblings more reserved and sat beside them. Nodding slightly to them, he gestured to the three mentors he chose to come up: Brambleclaw, Brackenfur and Cinderheart.

He turned first to Flamekit on the far left. "Flamekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Flamepaw."

She held back a mew of excitement and Firestar turned to the golden brown tabby tom, Brackenfur, who sat on the far right of the warriors he chose as mentors. "Brackenfur, you have already had an apprentice, Hollyleaf. You will be the mentor of Flamepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Flamepaw as you did to Hollyleaf."

"I will, Firestar," he mewed, nodding to him. Flamepaw ran up to him and touched noses

Firestar then turned to Spottedkit who sat on the far right. "Spottedkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed, From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Spottedpaw."

Spottedpaw met the gaze of her father and it wavered a bit before stabilizing. Firestar turned to the light gray tabby she-cat, Cinderheart, who sat in the middle of the warriors he chose as mentors. "Cinderheart, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had excellent training from Cloudtail, and you have shown yourself to be fierce and brave. You will be the mentor of Spottedpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Spottedpaw."

Cinderheart gently touched the apprentice's shoulder with her tail and the two touched noses. Dawnkit watched the two and turned to Firestar when he mewed, "Dawnkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive you warrior name, you will be known as Dawnpaw."

Dawnpaw sat up straighter. He looked over to Brambleclaw who had been sitting with his sisters' mentors and twitched his ears slightly.

"Brambleclaw," Firestar turned to the dark tabby tom and continued the ceremony. "You have already had an apprentice, Berrynose. You will be mentor of Dawnpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Dawnpaw as you did Berrynose."

The red tabby apprentice padded to Brambleclaw and touched noses with him as his sisters had done with their mentors before him. He stepped back and the whole Clan erupted in choruses of: "Flamepaw, Spottedpaw, Dawnpaw! Flamepaw, Spottedpaw, Dawnpaw!"

He turned to Brambleclaw as the voices died down and the meeting ended. "When are we going to start training?"

Brambleclaw looked up at the sky. "It's only sunhigh. There's enough time for me to take you around the territory before it gets dark."

Dawnpaw flicked his tail at that showing his disapproval. "'Take me around the territory'? Is that all? No fighting, no hunting? Just taking me around the territory?"

"Yes, only that," The dark tabby mewed. He rolled his eyes at his mentor and Brambleclaw sighed. "Okay. What about I show you some fighting moves tomorrow to make up for today?"

"Hmm. Okay," He said grudgingly. Dawnpaw turned his gaze to his sisters who were leaving the hollow, Brackenfur and Cinderheart at the lead. He wondered if they, too, were going to travel around the territory.

"Dawnpaw?"

The apprentice looked to his mentor and found him narrowing his eyes at him. "Listen next time and keep your mind out of the clouds. Do you know what I just said?"

Dawnpaw looked around the hollow before returning his gaze to Brambleclaw. "That the territory you're going to show me is really just a piece of ThunderClan's territory and that the lake as a whole is all ThunderClan's?"

Brambleclaw blinked and shook his head with a sigh. "No. That isn't what I said. And the whole lake isn't ThunderClan's. It belongs to all four Clans. You better remember that, or you'll get into loads of trouble later and not be able to become a warrior."

He tilted his head and shrugged. "Right. I'll remember." _Maybe_, he thought to himself.

"What I had said when you weren't paying attention was that after teaching you some fighting moves tomorrow I'll show you how to do the hunter's crouch." Brambleclaw added ignoring the careless tone in Dawnpaw's tone. "And that said, come on. We're wasting daylight just sitting here."

"Oh yes, all great and mighty mentor Bramblefoot-claw. Brambleclaw." Dawnpaw mewed sarcastically following Brambleclaw as he led the way out of the hollow. Cats nearby snickered and the dark tabby shook his head muttering to himself, "How did I end up with the arrogant one?"

Dawnpaw flicked his tail in amusement.


End file.
